diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp
index 16310cd7c65..56c294a2e06 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ using namespace ProjectExplorer::Internal;
 
 CompileOutputWindow::CompileOutputWindow(BuildManager * /*bm*/)
 {
-    m_textEdit = new QTextEdit();
+    m_textEdit = new QPlainTextEdit();
     m_textEdit->setWindowTitle(tr("Compile Output"));
     m_textEdit->setWindowIcon(QIcon(":/qt4projectmanager/images/window.png"));
     m_textEdit->setReadOnly(true);
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ QWidget *CompileOutputWindow::outputWidget(QWidget *)
 
 void CompileOutputWindow::appendText(const QString &text)
 {
-    m_textEdit->append(text);
+    m_textEdit->appendHtml(text);
 }
 
 void CompileOutputWindow::clearContents()
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.h
index 957178ba6e2..4687bf3816b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 #include <coreplugin/ioutputpane.h>
 
-#include <QtGui/QTextEdit>
+#include <QtGui/QPlainTextEdit>
 
 namespace ProjectExplorer {
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public:
     void setFocus();
 
 private:
-    QTextEdit *m_textEdit;
+    QPlainTextEdit *m_textEdit;
 };
 
 } // namespace Internal